Life in Quotes
by Dancerslife
Summary: Everything turned into a game. The game turned them into children.
1. Chapter 1

"I hung in there as long as I could, but you long passed the point when I stopped caring." (The West Wing)

Angry was something they enjoyed being. Karen Walker makes him angry. Will Truman makes her angry. It first started as a game. Who could make the other person turn an unattractive shade of red? Who could make the other come into whatever room they were in and slam the door the loudest. It was a game they played. A game neither of them could win.

The anger, like other feelings they couldn't admit to, slowly turned into pain. Whether it was the sudden pain that jolted through the nerves in the back as one of them were put up against a wall or a door. Then there was the pain that made them crave more. She craved him and all of him. It made her angry when he said no. But it made her smile when she ended up thrown under him with an angry low growl. It made him angry that he would say no and still end up tangled in sheets with her.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy it. She was addicting. She was his drug. He wouldn't dare to admit that the power and softness of her kisses, the softness and lightness of her hands, and the thought of her coming undone underneath him, forced him to politely excuse himself from the meeting he was in, and to hurry to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. The clock in the hallway that he took a glance at coming out of the bathroom, reminded him that he only had four more hours. Four more hours until he saw her. Every second that he was in the office, was every second he became angrier. His addiction was border lining on containable and constant need.

"You're late," Karen said, walking out of the bathroom. Her hair was wet as if she had just finished a shower. The silk rob added to the theory. "I'm getting ready to leave,"

"Where are you going?" He asked, placing his coat on the arms of a chair. She was toweling her hair. She was gorgeous without any makeup. It made him wonder sometimes whether or not she really needed to wear it. She looked just as flawless without it as she did with, and that was another thing that made him angry. He saw her in a different light from what Grace and Jack saw.

"Home," She said, dropping her robe to the floor. There she was standing in front of him completely naked and he could feel his anger begin to rise. He couldn't do anything to her at the moment. Not when she was in control like this. She had a habit of dressing in front of him, full well knowing what it did to him and in the end to her.

"This is your home," He pointed out. She looked up from the spot on the floor she had been focusing on as she slowly continued to dress. She gave him a warm smile.

"No honey, this is your home. Mine is some damn mansion that's too big." She was at arm's length, which he took advantage of; pulling her into his lap.

"You're always here. Grace goes to bed at ten; you just stay and tell her we have to talk." He decided and offered to Karen. She shook her head and removed herself from his lap. She bent over and picked up her skirt.

"I can't Will." She said softly. "I can't do it anymore."

"Can't do what?" He asked coming up behind her. She was standing in front of his mirror. He placed a kiss to her cheek, and felt her ease against him. "Can't tell me you actually enjoy sneaking around? Can't tell me that you'd rather be here with me than anywhere else?"

"Don't you care?" She asked, locking her eyes with his in the mirror. "I mean don't you care what Grace would say if she found out that you're sleeping me with? Or that Jack isn't going to be completely saddened by the fact that I've blatantly lied to him, telling him that the person I'm sleeping with isn't important? He still thinks I'm sleeping with Stan."

"But Stan died three years ago." He said wrapping his arms around her waist. By the way her arms tensed, he could tell she was getting angry. "And you needed, how should we put this, a way to grieve," She turned in his arms and smacked him in the chest.

"You're an arrogant son of a bitch you know that?" She said getting out of his grip. "I thought you would care about what you're friends would think. I've been in your life for how long, and don't you think the question why now and not then, won't enter their minds?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets, fully aware now that he wasn't going to get any. "Why don't you care Will?"

"I do care. I did," He corrected himself. "I stopped caring a long time ago. I stopped caring when I saw that _you_ weren't giving up. I stopped caring when _I_ wasn't going to give up. I tried to come up with solutions in my head, but nothing and none of them seemed plausible. So go ahead, walk out that door and out of my apartment. Walk out and remind yourself that you're still coming back the next day. And the day after that. You have friends who live here. You have people who care about you that live here. You come here because it's your escape."

She had left. She had finished buttoning up her blouse, put on her coat and walked out of his apartment, just like he said. And she did come back, the next morning with Jack in tow. They were laughing and giggling like school girls, about somebody they tricked, before coming up. Karen went on to say that Stan wasn't home the night before and she had the whole place to herself. It was only Will that caught the sadness in her statement, but he didn't dare say a word. She seemed happy about it, only adding to her façade.

The thing about Karen Walker that made him crazy was the two different people she was. With the group, she was a pill popping, alcoholic, who couldn't and didn't care about anyone's issues. She'd claim that she slept until noon because she was so hung over. She'd laugh at other people's misfortunes and people's mistakes, when hours after, she'd lay in bed with Will by her side, and be completely opposite.

She'd talk about their misfortunes, wondering if there was any way she'd be able to help. When they'd have dinner, she'd never have more than one glass of anything alcoholic that was put down in front of her. She'd never take pills, only if she had a headache, which was hardly ever. She couldn't bring herself to fire anyone, which was why she had him to do it. She couldn't fire Driver, despite the fact that he tended to hit people more regularly now than before, forcing her to walk places instead of drive.

He'd get her riled up, forcing her to the edge, before she felt like she needed to jump, and then ease her back down. They sat at dinner, in a quiet restaurant, just the four of them. Jack sat next to Karen, as usual, and Grace next to Will. Over the years the seating arrangement had changed, Karen and Will sat across from each other leaving Jack across from Grace. They didn't dare do anything early on in the relationship, until the arrangements changed. He'd brush her arm as he made his way to the bathroom. Or grab her hand, to force her to let go of the water glass that sat in front of her, reminding her that it wasn't Vodka.

It was at that precise dinner, when he decided to trace circles into her calf with his shoe. He watched her tense. If the tightened grip wasn't anything to go by, it was the dark shade that her eyes got. He continued to do it, until she jerked her knee to hit the table, causing the silver ware to rattle. "Will, can I talk to you?" She asked, standing up and making her way into a small hallway that she noticed coming in.

He approached her from behind and was immediately assaulted with her lips against his. He pulled away with a full smile. "Was I irritating you?"

"You were making me angry." She said as a group of people passed by them, causing him to push her against the wall. She looked up with a smile. "And you're just needy?" He looked at her with confusion as she walked away. It was when they sat down that he felt the comfort in his pants go away. He looked up at her and she had a wicked grin plastered on her face.

Yes the game between them was to see who could make each other angry. A game that neither of them could win. A game that was impossible for them to win, yet always fun to play.


	2. Photographic Beauty and Love

"She hated to be photographed. You had to run after her….But she was special."-Gia

He watched as she walked down the street. People screaming her name, people shouting questions, her husband had been resurrected, and she was once again the center of attention. He caught her eye every time she looked back, as if needing reassurance that he was there. She had stopped outside a tall building, a museum of some sort, and being the socialite wife that she was, she had an invitation for the grand opening. It would be in a matter of hours, on the way home that they'd see her face on the cover of a paper. It was incredible how they got it published so quickly, but it happened.

He watched her make her way through the room, laughing and conversing with people she may have liked. May have hated. He recognized the fake laugh from the real laugh, and he never heard the real one. Will wasn't there as her date, he wasn't there because he offered, he was there because she needed someone close by. Why he chose her, besides the fact the they were sleeping together, when she could have chosen Jack or Grace, was completely unknown. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her approaching and quickly ordered her a drink.

"How's it coming?" He asked. She sighed and leaned against the bar, immediately feeling the warmth of his hand. She smiled.

"Slow." She said, as she was handed her drink. "It's unpleasant. It smells of cheap cologne and money," She added money with a whisper. He laughed and lightly traced a circle in her back. "Don't." She hissed through her teeth. He smiled and pushed her away from the stool.

"Come on," He said, slipping his hand to the small of her back, guiding her through the room. She still had her glass in hand, but was gripping it tightly, so she wouldn't do anything she'd regret.

Karen had introduced people to Will as her lawyer, which was the truth even though there was something else behind it. Will endured the same stories Karen had, moments before, which caused her to smirk. She wanted to touch him. She could feel the anticipation build, slowly, but it was coming. They had only been there for an hour and a half, when he realized that the room had gotten less crowded than before. He met Karen's eyes across the room and saw her signal to the small corridor that they learned led to a small park. He gave her a brief nod and drowned the rest of his champagne.

He found her standing by the top of the hill, overlooking the park with her arms tightly wrapped around her. She felt the fabric of his coat over her arms, before she felt his arm wrap around her waist. "Tempted?" He asked, before kissing her temple.

"Always," She said turning towards him and leaning up to kiss him. The warmth of his lips forced her into a smile. She felt the softness of his hand lay against her cheek, causing her to take a step forward. She broke the kiss with a smile and for the moment satisfied. He led them back into the room, and listened to her make an excuse of needing to go home.

He woke up the next morning, alone. As usual. The sun was coming through the gap in his curtains, he could hear shuffling around in the living room, hoping for a moment that it was Karen. It was the opening and slamming of the door that got him to be fully awake. He quickly put on a pair of sweat pants that somehow ended up in his closet and a t-shirt. He didn't even make it to the door, before it swung open revealing a very disheveled Karen.

"Have you seen this?" She asked holding up the paper. "Look who made the front page," She shoved the paper at him and took a seat on his bed. "I can't believe this."

The headline read: Photographic Beauty and Love. The picture was in black and white of Karen and Will kissing on the hill. There were other pictures of them standing together at the party which was included in the article. "Was there one on my doorstep?"

"Not anymore," She said throwing a rolled up paper in his general direction.

"Karen it'll be okay." He said sitting down next to her. He took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. "I'll deal with this. Call them up and say that you're life shouldn't be fictionalized during a delicate time."

"Will it work?" He shrugged and kissed her. He continued to kiss her through the opening and closing of the front door. And the rather loud conversation their guests were having with Grace. It was the sudden opening of his bedroom door that forced them to pull apart quickly.

"So imagine my surprise when I get a phone call from your Aunt Marjorie saying that I need to buy an issue of the paper because my son was on the front page. So what did I do, I found an issue of the paper to find my son kissing a married woman," Marilyn said, not paying attention to Karen who was failing at hiding her embarrassment.

"She's not married for one," Will said standing up. "Two she can kiss whoever she likes. Mom it was a friendly kiss. She was nervous about making a speech so I tried to help," He lied.

"The picture begs to differ." It was the slamming and closing of the front door that made Karen groan. Then they heard the irate Jack coming down the hallway.

"What is this?" He asks holding up the paper. "I can't believe this! I mean god, Karen you're married! Do you not care about what your kids feel?" Karen's head shot up at Jack's last statement and the glare she gave him, caused everyone to take a step back. She slowly got to her feet.

"I am not married. My husband died and came back to life. Yes the absurdity of that statement is evident. But I am not married. Olivia and Mason will deal with it." She said looking around the room. "Will and I are friends. Nothing more. Now you can all get the hell out of this room so I can discuss this," She said handing up the paper. "With my lawyer."

The door closed behind Marilyn and there was silence. Uncomfortable, tension filled silence, made him uncomfortable. It made her uncomfortable. He slowly sat down next to her; and she didn't flinch. He took her hand in his and she didn't pull away, thankfully. "What are we going to do? We can-"Before he was able to say stop, Karen's lips attacked his. He wrapped his hands in her hair and she placed her hands on his chest.

"I hate photographers," She said, stating the obvious. He lay down on his back, pulling her with him. She laid her head on his chest and draped an arm across his stomach. It was a statement that was voiced frequently. But this made it solid.

She was loved by all. Her face was the image of the company. The bright eyed smile that was in various magazines and papers. She was never a fan of having her image spread. The paparazzi followed her every move, which was why she made it a habit to go to the Palace hotel at night. They didn't dare follow her there and if they did, they never knew she stayed. The pictures that he'd see her in after their relationship started, he could tell the difference between the genuine smile and the fake one. He could tell the pictures where he had been near because of the smile. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkled, and she had his bracelet. A silver bracelet that he had bought for her, a month after they began. She always wore it. No matter where she was or who she was with. If it wasn't him on her arm the bracelet was more prominent in his mind.

She had told him the bracelet was her tie to him. A bond that no matter what man's arm she was on, she was Will's. She promised him that no matter wherever she was, whoever she was with, she was his. And he was hers. That picture told it all. They had fallen in love with each other, but they didn't know. Photographic Beauty and Love couldn't have seemed more of an appropriate title.


	3. Dancing Miscarriages

"If today were the day when you had to stop dancing, how would you feel?"- A Chorus Line

Three months. That's how long it was since they had been together. They had seen each other every day but did nothing about it. They could have continued with their nightly routines, making up an excuse to see each other. It became a habit to tell Jack or Grace some story to get out of what nightly activities they had planned. It became a dance of some sort. Weaving in and out of lies and stories, to make up their own. Like most dances, it became complicated. Like most dances, the story became a second part, a part that was forgotten at times. The steps were just steps, with no meaning behind it.

Three months since the article in the paper had been published about Karen's supposed affair with Will. Three months since she had walked out of the apartment, full well knowing she wasn't going to come back under the light of a relationship. It saddened her, but didn't upset her. It saddened him, but her leave wasn't shocking. It was almost predictable. He knew she had been uncomfortable that morning when she arrived with the papers. He knew that whatever they had wasn't going to last much longer, especially under the lens of the press. Karen Walker was good at putting up a good façade, but she wasn't that good.

It was Jack, who had decided that they needed to go out to the park. Not Will and Karen, but the four of them. If they tried to make an excuse as to why they weren't able to go, Jack would force them into it. Whether it was guilt or blackmail, they still came. Their eyes would catch, the faintest smile would appear, but it never lasted. Neither did the silence.

"Karen, there is water in the bottle, not Vodka," Will pointed out. Her head snapped up and glared at him. She shook her head.

"I know what it is in the bottle William," She spat. "I need the water to drain my system so I can have more alcohol." It was a horrible comeback, but it worked for now.

"Alcohol runs in your blood," He told her in a low tone. He sat down in a folding chair across from her and watched her drink in half the bottle. It was a new thing to witness in front of Grace and Jack. With him, she'd drink water all the time. With them, it was always alcohol.

Jack threw a fit about wanting to take a walk around the park, grabbing Grace's hand instead of Karen's; surprising the group. Karen looked at Will who smiled at her, watching her drop the façade that she had so perfectly put into place. He eyed her bracelet, and gave her another smile. She simply shrugged her shoulders, and covered her wrists with the sleeves of her coat. "Tell me something," Will said breaking the semi-comfortable silence between them.

"What?"

"This morning you had tea instead of coffee and baileys, when we got here your drowned a half a bottle of water, and I haven't seen you take a single pill." He pointed out, watching her demeanor change, and her protective barrier slowly come back. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. Pharmacist just wants me to try something new." She lied. He caught the slight movement of her fingers against her sleeve, tugging it slightly.

"Is that all?" He inquired.

"No." She said quietly. "Yes." She quickly retorted. "There is nothing wrong with me Will. I just haven't been feeling well that's all." The Karen he knew was coming back slowly. The one who'd tell him if she was okay and if she wasn't. If she wasn't he'd be able to catch it in her tone of voice, and this time he didn't catch it. "I went to the doctors because I thought I was pregnant."

"Excuse me?"

"The water. The no alcohol and no caffeine. I might be pregnant." She said softly. "I'm not sure."

"How can you not be sure?" He asked, getting to his feet. "You're a woman you have monthly reminders."

"Well my monthly reminders don't come monthly," She said getting to her feet, getting ready to stand toe to toe with him. "I felt sick last week, so I went to the doctors. He said just in case, I should lay off of my desired liquids."

"How is it possible that you're pregnant? I mean we haven't been together in-"

"Three months," She finished for him. "Believe me I know. And after three months of no sex, I'm not too happy of a person."

There it was; the subtle message for Will. She hadn't slept with anyone since the night before the article issue. A small smile crept across her lips, causing her to take a step back and sit back down in the chair. They had slipped into a comfortable silence, awaiting for the return of Jack and Grace. Then the thought of him sleeping with someone had crossed her mind, and she quickly went through conversations that they had in the past three months. Seeing if anyone's name came up. "Will, Have you-"She began to ask.

"No." He shook his head and looked at her. He was telling the truth. She always knew by the warmth in his eyes. She was getting ready to say something, perhaps an apology, but it died on her lips, noticing Jack bounding over to them.

It had been a week since their brief chat. They continued with their no sex plan and despite the fact that they had gone from no touching to secret fleeting touches, the touched weren't enough to send their nerves into neediness. Jack and Karen were coming over for breakfast, not knowing the information until Grace had come into his room unannounced, informing him he had to make breakfast. "Karen has something she wants to tell us," Is what Grace's departing words were, which was what got him out of bed.

In the hour and a half that he had to make breakfast, he made Karen's favorites; scrambled eggs, waffles, bacon, and a very large fruit plate. It was when Karen had entered the apartment and smiled at the aroma of food that he knew he had done good. He had served everyone as usual, and lightly traced circles into Karen's back with his thumb. He felt good that she hadn't tensed or made a notion to force him to stop. "Will," Karen said, when he finally sat down with his own plate of food. He nodded for her to continue. "Do you remember the case that you were telling me about, at the park, about the woman who thought she was pregnant?" Will simply nodded, not acknowledging that he did indeed know who she was talking about. "Turns out she isn't. Just a bad case of food poisoning." If anyone was to hear the disappointment in her statement, it was him.

"How did you find that out Kare?" Jack asked, before shoveling a forkful of waffle into his mouth.

"I got Detective to look into it," She lied. "He said that the woman had, had a history of miscarriages and that she may have had one." She didn't look at Will. "I don't think she even knew she was pregnant." That was the truth. Karen politely excused herself from the table and made her way into the bathroom.

"I'm going to go grab that file from my briefcase," Will lied. It was the one moment that he was thankful that Grace got an adjoining door into the bathroom. He quietly opened it to reveal a saddened Karen perched on the edge of the tub. She gave him a sad smile as he entered and took a seat on the lid of the toilet seat.

"It was a nice dream." She said sadly, wiping a tear before it fell. "I got caught up in the moment."

He placed a hand to her knee. "Come on Kare," He said quietly. She shook her head. "Don't beat yourself up over this."

"I know. But I do. Everytime."

"How many?" He asked, taking a seat next to her.

"In total? Four." She shrugged. "Two with Stan, one when I was out of college, and this one with you."

"If you knew that you were pregnant, would you have kept it?"

"If I found out last week, it would have been too late to do anything." She told him. "So I would have had to carry it full term unless something happened. I've been through this so many times Will, I don't need a pity party."

"If you couldn't see me again, how would you feel?" He asked. She looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"I'd die."

They danced. They always danced. Around each other, around their emotions. They memorized the steps around each other, to each other, away from each other. In the end, it seemed to get tiring, but the moment something noteworthy happened. The dance stopped and they ended up right where they needed to be. In front of each other.


	4. Arguments worth Keeping

"So we pick and choose who we want to remain close to. And once we've chosen those people. We tend to stick close by. No matter how much we hurt them. The people that are still with you at the end of the day, those are the ones worth keeping,"-Grey's Anatomy

Grace drummed her fingers against her drawing table, eyeing the clock every so often. It was nearing nine o'clock, at the time Karen had been coming in. Out of guilt or because she wanted to, were two questions that she thought of. Four months had passed since an irate Jack came into his apartment, waving around a paper, saying something about Karen and a new love interest. A demanding Marilyn, also waving a paper around, needing to talk to Will. She had gone out to look for her own paper, but didn't see anything. She hadn't heard the conversation going on in Will's bedroom, where Will, Karen, Jack, and Marilyn all seemed to be. What was happening in the room, crossed her mind, but just assumed that Will would tell her later.

Later, had been four months. Later, had been getting a phone call from Will telling her that he had stayed over at the mansion with Karen, after being snowed in by the snow storm. After hearing the tiring murmurs of Karen wanting Will, everything seemed to fall into place. The paper, the angry fights between them, the slow and slight change of behavior and the fact that they found a way to touch each other, made perfect sense. He told her of his relationship with Karen unintentionally. Now she waited for Karen, her assistant, her friend, and now apparently her best friend's lover.

"I know, I'm late," Karen said coming into the office. "I had to deal with something's this morning."It wasn't necessarily a lie, just not the full story. Not that Grace would want to hear the details of Karen's pleasant morning.

"How long have you been sleeping with Will?" It was straight to the point. The bush that Karen wished at the very moment, was beaten down instead of around.

"Excuse me?" Karen said slowly sitting down behind her desk.

"You've been having an affair with Will. How long have you been sleeping with him?" She repeated, coming closer to Karen. Karen shifted in her seat a little.

"Four months." She said, gripping the edge of her desk, feeling her fingers go numb. "We started three months before we were featured in the paper. And we started again a month ago."

Will at that precise moment walked into the office and was tempted to turn around and back out the door. Grace had shot him a look, stopping him dead in his tracks. He took a brief look at Karen who was looking at a straight faced Grace, who was scarily calm. He took a seat at the edge of Karen's desk and waited for Grace to talk, which she did. "So you've been screwing her. You've been screwing him. And you both screwed yourself out of a friendship. So Karen you're fired. And Will, I'm moving out." Grace picked up her purse and left, mumbling something about lunch.

Karen just laughed lightly, and began to clean off her desk. Putting her pill box, various nail supplies, and other things she kept on her desk that may have had sentimental value into her purse. She threw any paper into the garbage can and stood up. "Let's go," She said having made up her mind. "She's angry. It'll wear off. It always does."

Will shook his head at her subtleness. She hadn't let anything bother her, not right away. She couldn't allow anything to bother her right away. She needed to have everything to be pent up, so that way she could let it go in one shot, instead of all the time. How Karen could be so strong in a moment when anyone else he knew, including Grace, would break down, she just shrugged her shoulders and continued walking.

Hours had passed and Will brought Karen home with him. It wasn't going to be easy for them both to confront Grace about whatever relationship scenario she came up with. Karen had tried to get a hold of Jack, but wasn't able to, coming to the conclusion Grace had gone to him. When they had gotten there the apartment was empty. Will had gone to check Grace's bedroom, which was already mostly cleared out. He came back into the living room and found Karen dazed. "Look what she left," He said holding up the paper. "I guess she found a copy."

Karen shook her head and moved over slightly to allow Will to sit down next to her. "Jack won't answer any of my calls," She said holding up her cell phone. "I'm guessing he's with Grace,"

Their attention was focused on the door as it opened and revealed a red eyed Grace and a stiff looking Jack. Karen quickly stood up and walked over to the window by the kitchen. She couldn't bring herself to say anything without blowing up. She didn't want to say anything, because anything out of her mouth she was going to regret almost immediately. If giving up Will for good meant that Grace would stay her friend, as painful as it would be, it would happen. For Grace. If it meant giving up her home and her assets that she had become accustomed to and move away to some solitary place, so Will, Grace, and Jack could be friends, she'd do it.

"Karen," She heard Grace's voice behind her. She felt her body tighten and her façade slip into place. She turned around with her arms crossed against her chest raising an eyebrow at Grace. "You should have told me."

"And what? You wouldn't have fired me or moved out of your best friend's apartment because you're not jealous. You wanted to be the one he was having an affair with. You wanted to be the woman who was carrying his child. You may have gotten over it, but believe me Gracie, you haven't. So what would you have done if I told you I was sleeping with Will?"

"I don't know," She whispered. "I would have liked to know."

"Well you didn't." Karen said coldly. "What do you want me to do so you can repair your friendship with Will? You want me to leave? I'll get on the first plane. You want me to stop seeing Will? Prepare to read my eulogy in the paper. Tell me what it is and I will do it."

"Make him happy." Grace said quickly. "If you make him happy, I'll be happy. Sure I'm not completely happy with not being the one who he's with, but it will take some time." Grace smiled sadly and grabbed her purse before heading out the door. It was Jack's turn to come over.

"Jackie before you give me the third degree at least let me get a refill," She said pointing to her glass. He shook his head and took Karen into his arms, pulling her against his chest. She shot will a look over Jack's shoulder and watched him shrug. Jack didn't let his grip loosen as she tried to shift. She didn't do hugs, was the thought that passed through her mind. She didn't do hugs from just anybody. But Jack wasn't just anybody she realized, he was her poodle.

"I'm sorry you lost your baby Karen," He whispered before letting go. He wiped the single tear that managed to escape, and smiled. Jack nodded his head at Will and left too. Karen slowly walked into Will's arms, finally letting go.

She was letting go of anything that she had pent up. Her tears for the fights she was going to have with Grace. For the babies she's lost. For the tears she's wanted to let go of in the three months that she was away from him. Will had helped her take down a wall and he was the one who kept rebuilding it. If there was anything Will knew how to do best with Karen, it was just to hold her and let her go.

"Come on, let's get something to eat." Karen nodded her head against his chest, not vying to far from him. She had helped him make dinner, stealing kisses every so often, smiling at the warmth. It was Karen who had dipped her finger in the alfredo sauce, taunting it in his face. It was Will who had held the bottle of Vodka hostage until she put the spoon down. It was the laughter that was coming from them that drowned out the closing of the door.

"Hey guys." Grace said with Jack standing beside her. She was smiling, as if silently asking for forgiveness. Will fixed up four plates of food, as if he knew they were coming back. They all took their respective seats and began to eat, sharing the events of the day that didn't revolve around the fight.

It's who in there with you at the end of the day that you can consider family. It's the people who listen to your fights, bickering, yelling, sob stories that will be able to be called family. As Karen looked around the table, she caught Will lifting it, toasting her and adding a wink, causing a smile to break. These three people were her family. Will was the strong pair of arms that she could find warmth and comfort in along with a shoulder to cry on. Grace, a friend and sister she could gossip with. Jack, her poodle, was the one she could secretly make fun of people with. These were the people she spent her last hours of the day with, no one else. These were the people worth keeping.


	5. Change in Disguise

"You don't tell a woman that you love her and then two days later bring Romeo over to sleep with him!" The object of my affection.

Will stared at the people below him doing laundry. He watched the couple down the street whisper something in each other's ears and laugh about it. He had that. He could still have that. He noticed the birds flying over the buildings near him, smiling at how in sync they were together. His partner left him. He hadn't heard the front door close behind him until he heard Grace's footsteps approaching the balcony. He reached back and closed the glass doors, locking himself out of the apartment, enduring the cold for a little while longer.

He and Karen had been out on a getaway together. They were happy. Sharing secrets, sharing life stories, things that no one else knew about them. It's what they did in the moments after romantic ones. He'd kiss the top of her head; she'd kiss his cheek or his chest. Bare skin became sketch boards for the invisible drawings they created. Intimate, seductive, and passionate; all things that they had become accustomed to hiding. They wouldn't have needed to leave their bedroom if she hadn't insisted coffee. They wouldn't have needed to abruptly end their vacation if he insisted on going to a nearby coffee shop, not wanting to go far from their room. He wouldn't be alone, without Karen, if he hadn't stopped and talked to an old friend.

It was his mistake. He stopped in his tracks, still holding Karen's hand when he saw Michael through the window. His dark hair and his scarf, two things that Will immediately became attracted to. It was the smile that would make Will want to capture and take in forever. It was the arms that were encased in black that Will would once be held in. At that moment, despite his feelings for Karen, she didn't matter. It was all him. Will insisted going into the shop and Karen obliged, assuming because it was near their room in the case he needed to become relieved of sudden stress. It wasn't until Will 'accidently' bumped into Michael that her heart constricted slightly.

They laughed and they were happy together. There was so much trust in Will, a trust that she assumed meant he wouldn't do anything like trying to come up with an excuse when she found both men shirtless in their bedroom. A trust that meant he actually meant he loved her when he surprised her with breakfast in bed that morning. It was a trust that went a long with the bracelet that he had given her. A trust that was now broken.

He shook his head at his stupidity. "Will," Grace said softly. He turned slightly and saw the black mass that was Karen. A tear stained Karen. A heartbroken Karen. An angry Karen. He stood up to his full height and made his way past Grace, standing a few feet from Karen.

"Hey," she barely got out. She fidgeted with her wrist, him eyeing the bracelet. "I don't know what you wanted from the weekend or from this trip, but I'm sure you weren't expecting this,"

"No." He said slowly. "I didn't think I'd run into Michael. I didn't expect to have you come in when you did."

"What were you doing?" She asked, not allowing him before to explain himself. She had just packed her bag and left, not giving him a chance to stop her either.

"He had spilled coffee on himself. Maybe on purpose, maybe on accident, I don't know. But I wasn't expecting you to come in."

"Did you sleep with him?"

"No." She shook her head. "No I didn't."

She gulped and took a deep breath before taking a step forward. "You hurt me." She admitted. "You told me you loved me and then I find you in _our _bedroom with your ex boyfriend shirtless. You hurt me," She repeated, possibly making her point stronger.

"I'm sorry," He said taking another step closer, nearly standing toe to toe with her. "The last thing that I wanted to do this week or on the whole trip was to hurt you. Spending our whole time in bed sounded like a pretty good idea." He whispered, putting his forehead against hers, pleased she didn't pull away. She laughed lightly.

"It really did."She whispered. "Especially after that breakfast with the strawberries," She laughed. He kissed her forehead and held her in his arms.

"You can't do that to me again Will," She said looking up at him. "I want to believe that you didn't sleep with Michael, I really do, but after being with Stan who cheated on me almost constantly, I can't deal with this for very much longer."

"I have never cheated on you. Not this weekend not before. And I will never cheat on you. Like I said at breakfast, I love you."

She nodded and got out of his grip making her way to the balcony, sitting on the chair he previously occupied. She pulled the blanket around her shoulders, not realizing Will and Grace were standing at the door watching her.

"You want to tell me what happened exactly?" Grace asked, feeling Will's warmth next to her.

"I told her this morning at breakfast that I loved her and I didn't give her a choice whether or not she wanted to marry me. We went out and got coffee which is where I saw Michael. And it was like a light bulb and I couldn't get away. "

"She found you in your bed or on your way?"

"She found us coming out of the bedroom. He had his shirt in his hand and she jumped to conclusions." He said crossing his arms across his chest, watching Karen observe the street.

"Well I know how it feels to be told you're getting married and then you're world come crashing down around you," Grace smiled at him. "You've become her problem solver Will. And having the one problem she needed to be fixed couldn't be fixed because you caused it. It scared her to lose the one person she needs the most." He nodded and watched her leave. He made his way outside. Karen moved over a little not giving enough space for him. She was pulled onto his lap.

"There is this client of mine," Will began. "She's had miscarriages, she's had bad relationships, but this is a new chance for her to start over," He took her left hand in his, playing with the ring on her hand.

"I think a change is good." She said. "I think I may like the change." She said shrugging her shoulders. "There is no one else?"

"Not unless you have multiple personalities," He tried to joke, which she laughed at. "If not, you're it. You'll always be it."

They sat there, with Karen on his lap, his hands entwined with hers on her lap. The sight of Karen Walker quietly talking, whispering, giggling, and being happy, was something no one would believe. But this wasn't the Karen Walker everyone seemed to know. She was different. She was better. She was his. He was hers.

They needed change. Everyone needs change every so often. But for them, it was the purchase of an apartment, of a summer home somewhere they could get away, enough equipment to make a nursery seem comfortable, and the saying of I Do, that made them realize they changed each other. For the good and for the bad. And it was the small child that sat at the edge of their new bed every morning, months later that made them grateful for Michael's sudden appearance. Jacob Truman was their change in disguise.


	6. Life In Quotes

'You're not dead! So stop acting like it!" –Beaches

Learning how to drive a car is nothing like learning how to ride a bike. Sure there is a way to make it go forward, to make it stop, to turn it in the direction you want it to go, but no one explained that when there is no falling off of a car, there is only falling into it or within it. When in a car crash there is no one to pull you up and tell you to go at it again. There is no one there to hold your hand when you get back on and to tell you you're mistakes. There is someone to help you out of the car and it's then, when everything is a blur, you wish you were a child again on a bike.

Karen stared outside the car window, watching the building pass by in a blur. Her son was sound asleep on her lap lightly snoring, with his thumb placed securely in his mouth. She was grateful that he was asleep at that moment, because the news she was barely listening to would have made him confused and her explanation or lack thereof would have driven them both into a state of confusion. Being barely six in the morning, she was grateful she had something else to focus on than the heartbreaking call from Will.

"Karen I need that purple tie!" Will called from their bedroom hours earlier. He walked out and into the living room to come face to face with the reason why his purple tie had gone missing; it was in his son's mouth.

"Daddy?" Jacob asked holding up the tie, spots darkened done by Jacob. Karen took the tie from his hands and walked over to Will draping it around his neck. He made an attempt to tie it himself, only getting his hands slapped.

"No," She said twisting the tie. "You aren't going to bitch about the fact that you're tie is now polka dots. You aren't going to be angry that you should have chosen a different tie in a few hours after being told that you're tie is stained. You aren't going to be angry when in a few hours you're going to call me and ask you to come rescue you. You are going to be angry though when I tell you that Jacob decided to use you're new pen as a crayon though," She watched Will's face change and laughed. "I told you,"

"Why did you let him use it?"

"Why did you leave it on the table?" She shot back finishing up the tie, pulling the knot a little to tight for his liking. "You'll live sweetheart," She said patting his cheek.

Karen smiled at the memory, staring down at the purple tie that Jacob was holding in his hand in substitute to his blanket. He always had something that smelled like his parents in his hand or on his person. Whether it was Will's tie or a piece of an old blouse that Karen was donating to charity, he had it. It was better than his blanket in times of crisis.

Jacob had become extremely perceptive in the two years he had been in their lives. He knew when Karen was unhappy because he'd crawl into her lap and give her Eskimo kisses. He knew when she was happy and all smiles, he'd get her to dance with him and sing him some song that she made up on the spot. The light caresses to his stomach forced him to erupt in laughter, which put a smile on her face. Jacob Truman was a blessing in disguise, despite the fact that he had no idea.

"Karen Truman?" She heard a nurse call. She nodded and picked up her son and made her way to the nurse. "You're husband told me to tell you he doesn't want to see you right now. He says he's not in shape to see you or your son."

"Can you tell him then that he's going to get his ass kicked by the twins? He'll know what I mean." The nurse nodded and disappeared. Karen didn't vie to far away from the door full well knowing she was going to come back. "Mrs. Truman, you're husband will see you know."

"Thank you," She said with a smile. Jacob shifted in her arms resting his head on her shoulder instead of her chest. She walked into the room labeled with her new last name and went in. She expected to see Will in the bed cut up and bruised, with tubes coming in and out of places unthinkable, but it was the sight of Will in a wheelchair that made her smile. His back was to the door allowing her to watch him for a short period of time. "The twins wouldn't have liked you being bed ridden."

The sound of her voice caused him to make an attempt to face her in the wheelchair. She entered at the sight of Will turning towards her and gently placed Jacob down on the bed his father was supposed to be occupying and watched him take the pillow and hold onto it, resting his head on it. Karen slowly went over to Will's opened arm and took a seat on the arm of the chair. "Hey," he whispered, placing a kiss to her arm.

"You scared me," She told him. "You could have told me you were okay,"

"Didn't want you to worry too much about me," He said shifting a little bit, feeling the pain in his leg worsen slightly. "I actually wanted to get out of here and home before you woke up. Guess that didn't work,"

"Nope," She said. "If you're not next to me I'm always going to worry. Get used to it Mary, you have someone who cares."

"It sounds like something I've said." He said quietly, the pain worsening. "Kare-"

"You should be getting into bed," She said helping him out of the chair and to take a seat at the edge of the bed. Jacob moved slightly and was moved off the bed allowing Will to take the whole space. Karen took Will's previous position, holding Jacob on her lap. He stirred until he finally woke up and smiled at Will's face. "Hi daddy," He murmured leaning over to his father. He laid his head on Will's chest and curled himself into a small ball and drifted off to sleep.

There was a period when words weren't necessary. It was the slight touch of hands. It was t slight brush of arms against each other or hands intertwined. It was the squeeze that was either a reassurance, a promise, or a tell that they didn't want to be bothered. It was in the smiles that said whether or not they should be pushed or continue to push because they were ready to be caught. It was the slightest things that told a whole tale.

This was what family was. This acting like children, acting like complete idiots because it made them happy. It's the food fights or bathroom fights with various things that get stuck in their hair and on their clothes that makes them end up on the floor laughing hysterically. It's the fights, verbal or non, that get's them so angry that they want to leave, but they can't. They can't leave each other because it's impossible. It's impossible to leave them because it's impossible to live without air.

Life is just one big movie. One big movie that a person makes up themselves. It's learning the lines that you've written, realizing that there is repetition. There is a beginning, middle, and end. There are memories that are noteworthy. And there are things people say that you tend to write down. It's your life in quotes.


End file.
